Legal claims defining the scope of protection. Each claim is shown in both the original legal language and a plain English translation.
1. A haptic touch screen including: a lower layer including a plurality of control electrodes; an upper layer including a plurality of haptic electrodes; a middle layer between the lower layer and upper layer, wherein the haptic electrodes are not conductively connected to control electronics and wherein the haptic electrodes are grouped with each group of haptic electrodes having a different charge.
A haptic touch screen system provides tactile feedback to users by generating electrostatic forces between conductive elements. The device addresses the challenge of creating localized haptic sensations on touch screens without requiring direct electrical connections to each haptic element. The system includes three primary layers: a lower layer with multiple control electrodes, an upper layer with multiple haptic electrodes, and a middle insulating layer separating them. The haptic electrodes are not directly connected to control electronics but are grouped, with each group carrying a distinct electrical charge. The control electrodes in the lower layer generate electric fields that interact with the charged haptic electrodes in the upper layer, producing localized electrostatic forces that users perceive as tactile feedback. This design allows for precise control of haptic sensations without the complexity of individually wiring each haptic electrode, enabling cost-effective and scalable manufacturing. The system can be integrated into touch screens for devices like smartphones, tablets, and interactive displays to enhance user interaction through touch feedback.
2. The haptic touch screen of claim 1 wherein the haptic electrodes are not in electrical communication with one another.
A haptic touch screen system provides localized tactile feedback to a user by generating vibrations or other haptic effects in response to touch input. The system includes a touch screen with integrated haptic electrodes that create localized vibrations when activated. The electrodes are arranged in a grid or array pattern beneath or within the touch screen surface, allowing precise control over the location and intensity of the haptic feedback. The electrodes are not electrically connected to one another, ensuring that each electrode operates independently to generate distinct haptic effects without interference from adjacent electrodes. This design enables fine-grained control over the tactile feedback, allowing the system to simulate different textures, button presses, or other interactive sensations at specific touch points. The haptic feedback is synchronized with on-screen content, enhancing user interaction by providing physical confirmation of touch inputs or guiding the user through navigation. The system may also include a controller that selectively activates individual electrodes based on touch input location and application requirements, ensuring accurate and responsive haptic feedback. This technology is particularly useful in mobile devices, gaming interfaces, and other touch-sensitive applications where tactile feedback improves usability and user experience.
3. The haptic touch screen of claim 1 wherein each haptic electrode mirrors a control electrode.
A haptic touch screen system addresses the challenge of providing precise and localized tactile feedback to users interacting with a touch-sensitive display. The system includes a touch screen with an array of haptic electrodes and control electrodes, where each haptic electrode is positioned to mirror a corresponding control electrode. The control electrodes detect touch inputs, while the haptic electrodes generate localized vibrations or tactile sensations in response to those inputs. This mirroring arrangement ensures that the tactile feedback is spatially aligned with the detected touch, enhancing user experience by providing immediate and accurate haptic responses. The system may also include a controller that processes touch data from the control electrodes and activates the corresponding haptic electrodes to produce the desired feedback. The haptic feedback can be customized based on the type of interaction, such as tapping, swiping, or pressing, to simulate different textures or sensations. This design improves the responsiveness and precision of haptic feedback in touch screens, making it suitable for applications in smartphones, tablets, and other interactive devices.
4. The haptic touch screen of claim 1 wherein a width of each haptic electrode greater than a characteristic distance between asperities on the skin of a fingertip.
A haptic touch screen system enhances tactile feedback by incorporating haptic electrodes with a specific width relative to the skin's surface texture. The system addresses the challenge of providing realistic tactile sensations on touch screens, which traditionally lack the physical feedback of mechanical buttons or surfaces. The haptic electrodes are designed with a width greater than the characteristic distance between asperities (small surface irregularities) on a fingertip, ensuring that the electrodes interact effectively with the skin's natural texture. This design allows the system to simulate varying surface textures, such as ridges or bumps, by modulating the electrical signals applied to the electrodes. The electrodes are arranged in a grid pattern beneath the touch screen, and their activation creates localized vibrations or electrostatic forces that the user perceives as tactile feedback. The system may also include a controller that adjusts the electrode signals based on user input or predefined patterns, enabling dynamic tactile responses. This approach improves user interaction by providing more intuitive and immersive feedback, particularly in applications like virtual interfaces, gaming, or mobile devices. The invention combines haptic technology with precise electrode design to bridge the gap between digital and physical touch experiences.
5. The haptic touch screen of claim 1 wherein each haptic electrode is diamond shaped and is aligned with a corresponding diamond shaped control electrode.
Technical Summary: This invention relates to haptic touch screens, specifically an improved electrode configuration for enhanced tactile feedback. The technology addresses the challenge of providing precise and localized haptic feedback in touch screen devices, which is crucial for user interaction in applications like virtual keyboards, gaming, and navigation. The invention features a haptic touch screen with diamond-shaped haptic electrodes that are precisely aligned with corresponding diamond-shaped control electrodes. The diamond shape allows for efficient distribution of haptic feedback across the screen, ensuring that tactile sensations are accurately localized to the user's touch point. This alignment between haptic and control electrodes optimizes the transmission of electrical signals, resulting in more responsive and distinct haptic feedback. The diamond configuration also improves the uniformity of the electric field generated by the electrodes, reducing interference and cross-talk between adjacent electrodes. This leads to clearer and more reliable haptic responses, enhancing the overall user experience. The design is particularly beneficial in high-resolution touch screens where precise feedback is essential for tasks requiring fine motor control. By integrating diamond-shaped electrodes, the invention provides a more effective way to deliver localized haptic feedback, addressing limitations in conventional circular or rectangular electrode designs. The alignment of haptic and control electrodes ensures that the feedback is both accurate and efficient, making it suitable for advanced touch screen applications.
6. The haptic touch screen of claim 5 wherein the each haptic electrode interconnects with at least one haptic electrode.
A haptic touch screen system provides localized tactile feedback to users by integrating haptic electrodes into the display. The system addresses the challenge of delivering precise, responsive haptic sensations in touch-sensitive devices, enhancing user interaction with digital interfaces. The haptic electrodes are arranged in a grid or matrix configuration, allowing for targeted stimulation at specific screen locations. Each haptic electrode is interconnected with at least one other haptic electrode, forming a network that enables coordinated activation patterns. This interconnection allows for dynamic control of haptic feedback, such as varying intensity, duration, or spatial distribution of tactile sensations. The system may also include a controller that processes input signals to determine the appropriate haptic response, ensuring synchronization with on-screen events. By integrating haptic feedback directly into the touch screen, the system improves user experience in applications like virtual keyboards, gaming, or navigation, providing tactile cues that complement visual and auditory feedback. The interconnected electrode design ensures efficient signal distribution and reduces latency, enhancing the responsiveness of the haptic system.
7. The haptic touch screen of claim 1 wherein each haptic electrode is dumbbell shaped.
A haptic touch screen system enhances user interaction by providing tactile feedback through an array of haptic electrodes. The electrodes are arranged in a grid pattern beneath a touch-sensitive display surface, where each electrode is dumbbell-shaped to optimize both tactile feedback and touch sensitivity. The dumbbell shape includes two enlarged end regions connected by a narrower central region, allowing for precise localization of haptic feedback while maintaining a compact form factor. When a user touches the screen, the system detects the touch location and activates the corresponding haptic electrodes to generate localized vibrations or force feedback. The dumbbell design ensures that the feedback is both strong and accurately positioned, improving the user experience in applications such as virtual keyboards, gaming, or navigation interfaces. The system may also include control circuitry to modulate the intensity and timing of the haptic feedback based on user input or application requirements. This design addresses the challenge of providing high-resolution tactile feedback in a thin, flexible touch screen while maintaining responsiveness and energy efficiency.
8. The haptic touch screen of claim 1 wherein each haptic electrode has a smaller pitch than the pitch of each control electrode.
A haptic touch screen system enhances user interaction by integrating haptic feedback with touch sensing. The system addresses the challenge of providing precise tactile feedback while maintaining accurate touch detection. The touch screen includes a plurality of control electrodes for detecting touch input and a plurality of haptic electrodes for generating haptic feedback. The haptic electrodes are arranged with a smaller pitch than the control electrodes, allowing for higher-resolution haptic feedback without compromising touch sensitivity. The control electrodes form a grid or array to detect touch coordinates, while the haptic electrodes are positioned to create localized vibrations or tactile sensations when activated. The system may include a controller that selectively drives the haptic electrodes to produce feedback patterns corresponding to user interactions, such as button presses or scrolling. The smaller pitch of the haptic electrodes enables finer control over feedback intensity and location, improving the user experience. The system may also include a flexible substrate to support the electrodes and a protective layer to ensure durability. The combination of high-resolution haptic feedback and reliable touch detection makes the system suitable for applications in smartphones, tablets, and other touch-sensitive devices.
9. The haptic touch screen of claim 8 wherein the pitch of each control electrode is approximately 5 mm and each haptic electrode is 5 mm across.
This invention relates to haptic touch screens designed to provide tactile feedback to users. The problem addressed is the lack of precise and localized haptic feedback in conventional touch screens, which limits user interaction and responsiveness. The invention improves upon prior art by incorporating a grid of control and haptic electrodes with specific dimensions to enhance feedback accuracy and user experience. The haptic touch screen includes a plurality of control electrodes and haptic electrodes arranged in a grid pattern. Each control electrode has a pitch of approximately 5 mm, meaning the spacing between adjacent electrodes is 5 mm. Each haptic electrode is also 5 mm across, ensuring uniform and consistent tactile feedback across the screen. The control electrodes generate electric fields that interact with the haptic electrodes to produce localized vibrations or tactile sensations when a user touches the screen. This precise arrangement allows for fine-grained haptic feedback, improving user interaction with virtual buttons, sliders, or other touch-sensitive elements. The invention ensures that the haptic feedback is both localized and strong enough to be felt by the user, addressing the limitations of prior art systems where feedback was either too weak or too diffuse. The specific electrode dimensions and spacing optimize the balance between feedback strength and resolution, making the touch screen more responsive and intuitive. This design is particularly useful in applications requiring precise touch input, such as gaming, virtual reality, or industrial control interfaces.
10. The haptic touch screen of claim 1 wherein each haptic electrode has a smaller pitch than the pitch of each control electrode.
A haptic touch screen system includes a touch-sensitive display with an array of control electrodes and an array of haptic electrodes. The control electrodes detect touch input by sensing changes in capacitance when a user interacts with the screen. The haptic electrodes generate localized tactile feedback by applying electrical signals to simulate physical sensations, such as vibrations or texture feedback, at specific points on the screen. The haptic electrodes are arranged with a smaller pitch (spacing) than the control electrodes, allowing for higher-resolution haptic feedback. This design enables precise tactile sensations to be delivered at finer intervals across the screen, enhancing the user experience by providing more detailed and localized feedback. The system may also include a controller that processes touch input signals from the control electrodes and generates corresponding haptic feedback signals for the haptic electrodes. The controller may adjust the intensity, frequency, or pattern of the haptic feedback based on the detected touch input or application requirements. This configuration improves the responsiveness and accuracy of both touch detection and haptic feedback, making the touch screen more intuitive and interactive.
11. The method of claim 10 wherein the pitch of each control electrode is approximately 5 mm and each haptic electrode is 5 mm across.
This invention relates to a tactile feedback system for touch-sensitive devices, addressing the challenge of providing precise and localized haptic feedback to users. The system includes an array of control electrodes and haptic electrodes arranged in a grid pattern. Each control electrode has a pitch of approximately 5 mm, meaning the center-to-center spacing between adjacent control electrodes is 5 mm. Each haptic electrode is 5 mm across, indicating the width or diameter of the electrode. The control electrodes generate an electric field that interacts with the user's skin, while the haptic electrodes provide localized tactile feedback in response to touch input. The system dynamically adjusts the electric field based on user interaction, enhancing the perception of touch and improving user experience in touch-sensitive applications. The precise dimensions of the electrodes ensure consistent and accurate haptic feedback across the device surface. This design is particularly useful in touchscreens, touchpads, and other interactive surfaces where tactile feedback is required.
12. A method of creating a haptic touch screen, the method including: forming an upper layer including a plurality of haptic electrodes; forming a lower layer including a plurality of control electrodes; forming a middle layer between the lower layer and upper layer, wherein the haptic electrodes are not conductively connected to control electronics and wherein the haptic electrodes are grouped with each group of haptic electrodes having a different charge.
A haptic touch screen system is designed to provide tactile feedback to users through electrostatic friction modulation. The invention addresses the challenge of creating a touch screen that can generate localized haptic sensations without requiring direct conductive connections between the haptic electrodes and control electronics. The system consists of multiple layers: an upper layer containing a plurality of haptic electrodes, a lower layer containing a plurality of control electrodes, and a middle layer positioned between the upper and lower layers. The haptic electrodes are not directly connected to control electronics but are instead grouped, with each group assigned a distinct charge. The control electrodes in the lower layer interact with the charged haptic electrodes to create localized electrostatic forces, which generate tactile feedback when a user interacts with the screen. This design allows for precise control over haptic sensations without the need for complex wiring or conductive pathways between the haptic electrodes and external circuitry. The system enables dynamic adjustment of electrostatic fields to produce varying levels of friction, enhancing user interaction with the touch screen. The invention improves upon traditional haptic feedback methods by simplifying the electrical connections while maintaining precise control over tactile sensations.
13. The method of claim 12 wherein the haptic electrodes are not in electrical communication with one another.
This invention relates to haptic feedback systems, specifically addressing the challenge of providing localized tactile sensations without interference between multiple haptic electrodes. Traditional haptic systems often use interconnected electrodes, which can lead to unintended cross-talk or signal interference, reducing the precision of tactile feedback. The invention improves upon this by implementing a method where haptic electrodes are intentionally isolated from one another, preventing electrical communication between them. This isolation ensures that each electrode operates independently, allowing for more accurate and localized haptic feedback. The electrodes may be arranged in an array or other configuration, and the system may include a controller to selectively activate individual electrodes based on user input or predefined patterns. By eliminating electrical connections between electrodes, the system enhances the clarity and responsiveness of haptic feedback, making it suitable for applications in virtual reality, medical devices, or consumer electronics where precise tactile sensations are required. The invention also includes methods for manufacturing and calibrating such isolated electrode systems to maintain optimal performance.
14. The method of claim 12 wherein each haptic electrode mirrors a control electrode.
A system and method for haptic feedback control involves a plurality of haptic electrodes and control electrodes, where each haptic electrode is configured to mirror the electrical properties or signals of a corresponding control electrode. The control electrodes generate electrical signals based on user input or system commands, and the haptic electrodes replicate these signals to provide tactile feedback to the user. This mirroring ensures that the haptic response is synchronized with the control input, enhancing user interaction accuracy and responsiveness. The system may include a feedback loop to adjust the haptic signals in real-time, compensating for variations in user interaction or environmental conditions. The electrodes may be arranged in an array or distributed configuration, depending on the application, such as touchscreens, wearable devices, or medical interfaces. The method ensures precise and consistent haptic feedback, improving user experience in applications requiring fine motor control or sensory feedback.
15. The method of claim 12 wherein a width of each haptic electrode greater than a characteristic distance between asperities on the skin of a fingertip.
This invention relates to haptic feedback systems designed to enhance tactile interaction with touch-sensitive devices. The problem addressed is the limited resolution and effectiveness of conventional haptic electrodes in simulating realistic tactile sensations, particularly when interacting with fine textures or small surface features. Traditional electrodes often fail to provide sufficient spatial resolution to accurately mimic the natural texture of surfaces, such as the asperities (microscopic bumps) on a fingertip. The invention improves haptic feedback by using electrodes with a width greater than the characteristic distance between asperities on the skin of a fingertip. This ensures that the electrodes can effectively stimulate multiple asperities simultaneously, creating a more realistic and detailed tactile sensation. The electrodes are part of a larger system that generates controlled electrical signals to simulate varying textures and surface properties. The method involves positioning the electrodes in close proximity to the user's skin, such as on a touchscreen or wearable device, and modulating the electrical signals to produce localized vibrations or pressure sensations that correspond to the desired tactile feedback. By matching the electrode width to the natural spacing of fingertip asperities, the system achieves higher resolution and more nuanced haptic feedback, improving user experience in applications like virtual reality, touch interfaces, and medical devices.
16. The method of claim 12 wherein each haptic electrode is diamond shaped and is aligned with a corresponding diamond shaped control electrode.
A system and method for enhancing haptic feedback in touch-sensitive devices involves the use of diamond-shaped haptic electrodes aligned with corresponding diamond-shaped control electrodes. The primary application is in improving the precision and responsiveness of tactile feedback in electronic devices, such as touchscreens or touchpads, where users interact with virtual interfaces. The problem addressed is the lack of fine-grained haptic feedback, which can lead to imprecise user interactions and a less immersive experience. The method includes generating localized haptic feedback by activating the diamond-shaped haptic electrodes in response to user input. The alignment of the haptic electrodes with the control electrodes ensures that the feedback is spatially accurate, providing a more intuitive and responsive interaction. The diamond shape of the electrodes allows for efficient distribution of tactile stimuli, reducing interference between adjacent electrodes and improving the clarity of the feedback. The system may also include a controller that dynamically adjusts the intensity and pattern of the haptic feedback based on the type of user input or the application being used, such as simulating different textures or providing directional cues. This approach enhances user experience by making interactions more tactile and engaging.
17. The method of claim 16 wherein the each haptic electrode interconnects with at least one haptic electrode.
Technical Summary: This invention relates to haptic feedback systems, specifically methods for interconnecting haptic electrodes to enhance tactile feedback in electronic devices. The technology addresses the challenge of providing precise and localized haptic sensations by improving the connectivity between haptic electrodes, which are components that generate tactile feedback when stimulated. The method involves configuring each haptic electrode to interconnect with at least one other haptic electrode. This interconnection allows for coordinated activation of multiple electrodes, enabling more complex and nuanced haptic feedback patterns. By linking electrodes, the system can distribute tactile sensations across a larger area or create localized feedback with higher resolution. This approach improves the responsiveness and accuracy of haptic feedback, making it more effective for applications such as virtual reality, touchscreens, or wearable devices. The interconnection between electrodes can be achieved through electrical, mechanical, or wireless means, depending on the design requirements. The method ensures that the haptic feedback is synchronized and consistent, enhancing the user experience. This innovation is particularly useful in devices where multiple haptic elements must work together to simulate realistic tactile sensations, such as in gaming controllers, medical devices, or industrial interfaces. Overall, the invention provides a solution for improving haptic feedback by enabling seamless interconnection between haptic electrodes, leading to more immersive and precise tactile interactions.
18. The method of claim 12 wherein each haptic electrode is dumbbell shaped.
A system and method for haptic feedback involves an array of haptic electrodes configured to provide localized tactile sensations to a user. The electrodes are arranged in a grid pattern and individually controlled to generate precise haptic effects. Each electrode is dumbbell-shaped, featuring two enlarged contact areas connected by a narrower central region. This design enhances contact with the skin while minimizing interference between adjacent electrodes. The electrodes are embedded in a flexible substrate, allowing conformal placement on curved surfaces such as the human body. A control circuit selectively activates the electrodes to produce vibrations, pressure, or other tactile stimuli in response to user interactions or system inputs. The system may be used in wearable devices, medical applications, or virtual reality interfaces to provide immersive feedback. The dumbbell shape improves signal isolation and ensures consistent tactile perception across the electrode array. The method includes adjusting electrode activation patterns to optimize haptic feedback based on user preferences or environmental conditions.
Unknown
September 24, 2019
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